PickHoops QuickFact

In sixteen years, the first-round game between the #8 and #9 seeded teams has been split almost evenly (33-31).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, no #15 or #16 seeds have made it to the round of 16.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, three schools have advanced to the round of 16 at least 10 times (Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, UNC has 6 appearances in the national semifinals.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since 1996, only one team seeded lower than #5 has reached the national championship game (#8 Butler in 2011).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops started, UCLA has 3 appearances in the national semifinals.
PickHoops QuickFact

During PickHoops history, 55 #1 seeds have made it to the round of 16, an average of more than 3 per year.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since 1996, eleven #12 seeds have advanced to the round of 16.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, three schools have advanced to the round of 16 at least 10 times (Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas).
PickHoops QuickFact

In sixteen years, the Big East has had seven different schools advance to the national semifinals (Connecticut, West Virginia, Villanova, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, and Syracuse).
PickHoops QuickFact

In sixteen years, Kentucky has made the round of 16 ten times.
PickHoops QuickFact

In sixteen years, one #4 seed team has won the championship (Arizona in 1997).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, no champion has been lower than a #4 seed.
PickHoops QuickFact

During PickHoops history, UCLA has 3 appearances in the national semifinals.
PickHoops QuickFact

During PickHoops history, three schools have advanced to the round of 16 at least 10 times (Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, the national semifinals have featured four #1 seeds only once, in 2008.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops started, the lowest seeds to advance to the national semifinals were George Mason University (2006) and Virginia Commonwealth (2011), both #11 seeds from the Colonial Athletic Association.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops started, three schools have advanced to the round of 16 at least 10 times (Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since 1996, no #15 or #16 seeds have made it to the round of 16.
PickHoops QuickFact

During PickHoops history, the SEC has four champions (Kentucky twice and Florida twice).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops started, more #13 seeds (3) have advanced to the round of 16 than #9 seeds (2).
PickHoops QuickFact

Since 1996, the most common number of #1 seeds in the national semifinals is 2 (six times) and 1 (five times).
PickHoops QuickFact

In sixteen years, no #15 or #16 seeds have made it to the round of 16.
PickHoops QuickFact

Since PickHoops was founded, the Pac 10 has had three different schools advance to the national semifinals (UCLA, Arizona, and Stanford).
PickHoops QuickFact

In sixteen years, Connecticut has 4 appearances in the national semifinals.

PickHoops Scoring

Basic Scoring

Using basic scoring, group owners choose how many points to award per correct pick for each round, from round 1 to round 6.

The opening round "play-in game" is not used.

Advanced Scoring

When using advanced scoring, the following bonuses can be multiplied and/or added to the points awarded for each correct game. Bonuses are applied for correctly picked games for all rounds of the tournament.

Bonus: Seed number

Add or multiply the seed number of the winning team.

Bonus: Seed number for upsets

Add or multiply the seed number of the winning team if the actual result is an upset (higher seed number wins).

For example, if you correctly pick #10 N.C. State and they beat #7 UCLA, you would receive a bonus of 10 either added or multiplied to your score.

To receive this bonus you did not also have to pick the loser of the game correctly, just the winner.

Bonus: Difference in seed number for upsets

Add or multiply the difference between the seed numbers of the two teams if the actual result was an upset.

For example, if you correctly pick #12 Mississippi State and they beat #5 Kansas you would receive a bonus of 7 either added or multipied to your score.

To receive this bonus you did not also have to pick the loser of the game correctly, just the winner. The seed numbers used for the calculation are the seed numbers of the actual teams that played in the game.

Bonus: Add points per round

Add a custom number of points based on the round (1 through 6).

Bonus: Add points per round for upsets

Add a custom number of points based on the round if the actual result was an upset.


Tiebreakers

Groups have the option to select up to three tiebreakers for the purpose of resolving ties in the standings for their group. These tiebreakers will be evaluated in the order that the group owner specifies. Further ties are left as ties in PickHoops standings.

Tiebreaker: Riskiest upset picks

Each bracket is evaluated using the exclusive PickHoops risk assessor, which computes the risk of each chosen upset versus historical tournament results. The bracket that is deemed riskiest by this methodology wins this tiebreaker.

Tiebreaker: Most games correct

This tiebreaker evaluates the total number of correct games in the bracket, regardless of round.

Tiebreaker: Most games correct in first round

This tiebreaker evaluates the number of correct picks in the first round only (32 games).

Tiebreaker: Most games correct in first 2 rounds

This tiebreaker evaluates the number of correct picks in the first two rounds (48 games).

Tiebreaker: Most games correct in latest round

This tiebreaker evaluates the brackets by the number of correct games by round, starting with the championship game and working back to the first round games. A bracket beats another when it has more games picked correctly in a later round.

Tiebreaker: Total points in championship game

When using this tiebreaker, entrants must enter the predicted score of the championship game.

The bracket with the combined scores of both teams in the championship game closest to the actual combined score wins the tiebreaker.

Tiebreaker: Championship game point spread

When using this tiebreaker, entrants must enter the predicted score of the championship game.

The bracket whose difference in points between the two teams in the championship game is closest to the actual difference wins the tiebreaker. The difference is calculated by subtracting the predicted score of the team on the right side of the bracket from the predicted score of the team on the left side. So if you filled 78-66 into your bracket, the point spread would be 12. But if you filled 71-77 into your bracket, the point spread would be -6.

For the purposes of this tiebreaker, it doesn't matter which teams made it to the championship game or which scored more.


Return to features list